Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=10216

We begin with the long awaited sequel to/retelling of the original FMA series. What a bloody disappointment. First of all, the animation somehow looks crappier than it used to. Rose looks even more vacuous than she did before. I thought that kinda stuff was supposed to get better with time!  Second, Ookawa Tohu was the definitive Roy Mustang. I love Miki Shinichiro, but he just doesn’t cut it here! How could they do this to my first anime crush. At least they managed to preserve the other voices that matter and I doubt I’ll notice any of the other changes.

Story wise I’m not sure what they’re trying to do. They rushed through the Lior arc and got from failed human transmutation to Ed becoming state alchemist in a single episode. If it’s because they’ve done it before and don’t want to waste time rehashing it, I don’t see why they included those parts at all, especially when they did such a poor job at reproducing them. Certain scenes that left a deep impression in the original (like the part where Ed recites the ingredients for human transmutation to Rose) were redone in a completely flippant manner that didn’t do them justice.

Sorry for the verbal barrage, but this was my first real anime series and still one of my favourites. Pooey! Will continue watching in hopes of improvement.

Hanasakeru Seishounen

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=10510

This must be the lamest premise ever invented to create an excuse for a reverse harem. I still don’t know what the point to this ‘game’ is supposed to be (there probably isn’t one). The main character is kind of annoying. She’s obsessed with a white leopard. Seriously dude. Growing up on a deserted tropical island doesn’t give you the right to be absolutely ridiculous. Also, the guys are just not good looking enough. If they’re not going to be good looking enough I’d rather you just have one very very good looking guy (in the spirit of quality >>> quantity).

To be quite honest the real reason I’m watching this is because Namikawa Daisuke plays one of the characters. I think this guy is crazy good because he voices both Eigetsu and Yougetsu in Saiunkoku Monogatari, and if you listen to the two characters back to back it’s inconceivable that they’re the same person. He also does Ulquiorra (had to look up how to spell that, jeez) from Bleach, Michael Trinity from Gundam 00 and Rock from Black Lagoon, all of which sound pretty damn different to me.

Anyway it’s getting late so I must be moving on to the next one. Will update if plotline progresses beyond 0.

07-Ghost

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=10468

Another pretty meh anime. I’m not digging the religious theme and the nuns. I hope they go somewhere with that. By episode 4 the storyline has yet to get its act together. It could potentially get interesting and the fight scenes could turn out pretty nice, so I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt. What is with the mermaid? Quite baffling indeed.

Again, I’m only watching this because Namikawa Daisuke is in it. Just like how I’m going to watch Terminator Salvation only because of Christian Bale. In any case, I think this is an appropriate time to insert a random screenshot of Fye from Tsubasa Chronicle (also played by Namikawa Daisuke, in case you couldn’t see the connection), because he is one of my favourite characters and because I am making plans to watch the OVAs in the near future.

Higashi no Eden

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=10474

And now we conclude this momentous blog posting with what I think is the best anime of the season, in fact possibly one of the best anime of any season. I’ll reserve judgement until it actually ends, which is unfortunately soon at 11 episodes (with a theatrical release following). On the bright side, I don’t think this originates from any manga, which means it’s not going to have a lame anime ending just because it caught up (although it could very well have a lame ending just because).

The story is super intriguing so far. Takizawa is a great main character – you don’t know wtf he’s up to, he’s adorable and he shows up naked waving a gun in front of the White House in episode 1. Just brilliant. Saki looked like she might be annoying at first but she became increasingly endearing (except I don’t like how she has pink cheeks sometimes). From the trailers I didn’t think I’d like the animation, but I’m totally in love with it now (see the great sunset on boat scene as screenshotted above).

I find it really weird how they had real Americans (or maybe not) speaking American English for the American characters. It sounded completely unnatural, but I’m probably just not used to hearing it in anime (death to dubs!) Aside from that I have zero complaints. A must-see!

This makes it two nights in a row that I’ve stayed up past 1 for this blog. I hope you’re moved to tears by my dedication.